Ukraine Is Ready to Meet in the Normandy Format

President Petro Poroshenko said that a meeting was discussed in a telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel

uatv

02.12.2018

Photo from Poroshenko’s Official Website

President Petro Poroshenko in an interview with France 24 stressed that Ukraine is ready to meet in the Normandy format at the level of political advisers to de-escalate the situation with Russia that took place near the Kerch Strait on Nov. 25, the president’s press service reports.

“This proposal was previously agreed with the chancellor of Germany and me as the president of Ukraine during a telephone conversation, and we will certainly take part in the Normandy format meeting at the level of political advisers, where we will raise the urgent question, demand the Russian Federation to return our troops, ships and open the Kerch Strait,” Poroshenko said.

He added that even if the meeting takes place, there is no guarantee that it will lead to positive results for Ukraine.

“Meeting is only an instrument, not a result,” Poroshenko said.

The president also stressed that Russia should withdraw its troops on the Ukrainian-Russian border, and remove its warships from the Azov Sea.

Poroshenko added that the Russian Federation should withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian-Russian border and remove large numbers of warships from the Azov Sea.

That is why, according to Poroshenko, martial law is in place in the border regions.

“And we will be happy to put an end to the law on the military situation, when de-escalation of the situation will take place,” Poroshenko said.

Russian provocations near the Kerch Strait began on Nov. 25. It started with a Russian coastal guard ship ramming into a Ukrainian tugboat that was transporting two artillery boats from Odesa to Mariupol. Russia blocked access to the Azov Sea altogether and sent two Ka-52 attack helicopters to tail the Ukrainian ships. Finally, it fired on the vessels.

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